Today Parliament will be debating and voting on the new three-tiered local lockdown system the Prime Minister outlined yesterday.
This new system will make local lockdowns simpler and easier to enforce across England. The three tiers will be Medium, High and Very High.
The London Borough of Bromley is in the lowest tier, Medium, this means that the existing national measures (rule of 6 and 10 pm curfew) to stop the spread of coronavirus will be in place.
In the next tier, High, people will be prevented from socialising with other households indoors. There has been some talk, notably from the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, about the entire of Greater London, including Bromley, entering this second tier.
As I have said previously, I do not believe Bromley should be automatically included in any new London-wide restrictions unless it is needed locally to control the virus. And I hope the existing nation measures will be sufficient to slow the spread of the virus in Bromley.
However, the rate of infection is rising in Bromley. In the week up to the 8th of October, the rate of infection in the borough was 60 per 100,000. The week before it was 41 per 100,000 and the week before that it was 24 per 100,000.
The figures are heading in the wrong direction, but Bromley has the third-lowest rate of infection in Greater London. I will continue to monitor this situation and argue that Bromley should only be subjected to proportionate measures to the spread of coronavirus in the borough, not London as a whole.
We must do everything we can to stop the spread of the virus. So please remember to wash your hands, wear a face mask and make space.